Oh My Gong!
THE WOLLONGONG WATERFRONT MAY BE RELATIVELY QUIET TODAY, with chip-chasing seagulls outnumbering cyclists. But in just under four years’ time, the roads of this proud coastal city nestled at the foot of the Illawarra Escarpment will be buzzing with the sights, sounds and stars of the most prestigious road cycling event on the planet, save perhaps the Tour de France.
It’s been a few months since Wollongong was, somewhat sensationally, announced as host for the 2022 UCI Road World Championships. Plenty of excitement and conjecture has followed, together with some who’ve questioned the region’s deservedness for such a lofty honour given the NSW Government’s historical indifference towards most things cycling.
To explore all of this and more we approached two respected members of the Wollongong cycling community. Garry Doughty has ridden and raced on the local roads for more than three decades. He’s an internationally-recognised UCI
